Perez And Mitrovic Both Start At Southampton

Rafa Benitez has just announced the side for the game this afternoon at St. Mary’s against a good Southampton side, where we really need pick up something from this game – and hopefully a win – although that looks a tough ask.

Ayoze Perez and Aleksandar Mitrovic come back into the side and they replace Check Tiote and Papiss Cisse who both drop down to the bench.
There is no Fabricio Coloccini even on the bench today although Paul Dummett is in the 18 man squad but Vurnon Anita is again at left back where he had a torrid time last week.

Coloccini has now been out seven weeks with that calf injury he picked up during the warm-down in southern Spain after the 2-1 win against Lillestrom – and as far as we know he’s fit and been training all week.

It looks like Gini will be in central midfield with Jonjo Shelvey and it’s Ayoze Perez who may be in the number 10 role.

Gabby Obertan is on the bench so maybe he’s showing some good form in training and when he’s in form he can set up the chances from the wing.

The defense must be stronger than we were last week when we conceded three poor goals including that killer in the 3rd minute of stoppage time that had Norwich gain a full 3 points on us.

Two of the players we signed in January are not even on the bench – Seydou Doumbia and Henri Saivet – so that doesn’t say too much about our January acquisitions.

This is what Rafa has said about having more options now than when he joined Newcastle four weeks ago:

“We have Mitrovic scoring goals and Ayoze Perez is doing well,” “The good thing is that we also have Papiss Cisse back and he was good the other day so we have the quality. But this gives me a problem because I have to decide who to play.”

“Before, Papiss was injured and I couldn’t choose him but now he’s another option and the competition for places in this area is good for the team.”

“When people ask why certain players are not playing it is a positive because at least I have this option. I’m very pleased with the way Ayoze, Mitrovic, Papiss, Emmanuel Riviere and Seydou Doumbia are competing for places at the moment.”

“I’m really pleased with Mitrovic every day, not just when he came off the bench. In training he is doing very well and giving it his all.”

“But it wouldn’t be fair to single him out because every is training well and I can guarantee that they are giving it their all. We are trying to improve every day to be ready for the next challenge against Southampton.

“The team has to improve mentally and approach the game with confidence and positivity. Hopefully if we do this against Southampton we can do well and get the result that we want.”

3 foot anita to get mauled at lb again, gini to pull his greatest ever ‘invisible man’ impersonation to date, sissoko to stroll around barely able to make a simple 2 yard pass and janmaat to get caught about 50 yards out of position etc etc etc

Same ol’ same ol’ Yawny Yawny sleepy times for the tangy one, I’m off back to my pit to dream of bygone glory days when we beat Reading and Sheff wed.

Jib, i’ve forgotten more about football than you will ever know you sad halfwit. Rafa got it wrong with mitro, as i clearly said pre game. The fact that he explained his choice doesnt make it a correct one. Thats why mitro is in today you silly little man. Go learn some tactics. moving on from the halfwit jib, i think we can get something today. Not sure i wud have chosen wiji who has done little in recent times besides the cross for the goal v makems. Come on rafa, 90 mins please.

This I believe is literally the worst defending I’ve ever seen in the premiership, maybe even the championship. Taylor must just be praying to God that Shane Long doesn’t get the ball, because once he has it Taylor knows he’s beat straight away.

Hurray theres a geordie in limerick. How are you mate? Is rafa still playing wiji deep? Sissoko on left? Any why no lascelles? Not good enough rafa but players are a joke. Anyone defending carr these days? Nope didnt think so. I rest my case.

Pathetic defending. That tube Janmaat doesn’t have the stomach for the fight.We can’t manage a single shot in the entire first half. Terrible bunch of players. This squad deserve to go down and that is what is happening.

Fcuk all to do with Rafa this like, our players are fcuking useless, We were already down before he took over to little to late, We are better off out the Prem anyway just turn up and give every team 3 points boring as fcuk

The derby was everything and the players knew it. Since then they’ve slung in the towel. Exact same attitude being shown as when we went down last time – they don’t care and are already plotting their moves away.

Janmaat injured? Nope. Made a mistake and is too embarrassed to continue because that’s the easy way out. I haven’t been as critical of Janmaat as some people on here this season but that’s me done with him. Utterly gutless, just like the majority of the team.

Put an end to all these pre-match player interviews and doing your effing talking on the pitch.

Very painful to watch. Hard to take any positives from such an inept first half. It makes me sick to hear the players saying we have X number of cup finals when they cannot even muster a bit of effort and work rate.

Janmatt feigning injury because he just can’t be arsed sums up the attitude. Can’t wait to get rid of that waste of space no talent ba@tard.

jimiley – I respect your optimism and I tried to keep my hopes up that we could get out of this mess but now I have to accept that we’re doomed with this bunch of players. We didn’t get the boost of a new manager that most teams get, and Rafa must be wondering what he’s let himself in for here.

I hope you’re right and we beat the drop, but do you seriously think these players are suddenly going to start winning games after what you’ve seen in the past few weeks?

Quite looking forward to the Championship – less match day traffic, easier to park, no ques for pies and away fans will add to the atmosphere.
We’ll have great opportunities for two Cup runs and Wonga might have gone bust by then .

1. mbemba is gash without colocinni
2. collocinni is gash full stop
3. steven taylor makes colocinni look like Nesta
4. our left back is a midfielder (as is his understudy, colback)
5. our right back wants out, and there is literally no back-up right back

honory mention to curtis good, the boy we’ve paid for three years despite living on the other side of the planet and unable to kick a ball

absolutely no heart. Surely Sissoko can’t be playing for a euro place. Shelvey is a luxury. He isn’t mobile enough. Taylor should be dragged off after turning his back for the 1st.
We are 100% down. If we do stay up, it will be harder to shift 60-70 of our players.

We were more or less done for after the Scums but was expecting a bit of a fight in the remaining games. It’s Ashleys fault as well, he has let it be known for years there’s no ambition at this club, the season we finished 5th he didn’t strengthen and now tge pkayers don’t care, sh!t flows downhill.

i don’t know who out of sissoko and janmatt i find more stomach churning. both have so obviously wanted away for so long now, wijni has become completely invisible. taylor is beyond poor just stealing a living as a footballer.

pet hates? wow, that like me saying take off your wifes knickers. just pulling random thoughts from thin air

its not a pet hate for either of them, i like both, but both are not fighting for the team, both and Gini just seem to jog around, but then there will be loads of hate for Anita at the end of the match,

Nufc are no longer a sinking ship, they are a ship that has already sunk. No effort on goal, cant pass a ball, cant defend. Janmaat an absolute disgrace. Sissoko also a complete disgrace. This bunch are a massive failure. Role on relegation so we can get rid of this lot.

Pardew is bad but gets newcastle 5th place, a decent europa league run and consistantly manages to keep survival.ranieri comes in and takes leicester city all the way to probable title winners. Cappello comes in does awful with england, garde arrives at villa and fails to help them and Rafa arrives but can get a newcastle win.

Proves to all that a manager can be as great as morineo or as crap as league 1 managers it still won’t ensure a team will perform well because that is down to how much commitment will be provided by players themselves and right now we’ve got absolutely nothing.

Toon1978 totally agree, I see people saying “have faith” be “optimistic” ….I would if I seen a team, a club that actually wanted to win something. show me something to be positive about, Clubs a total joke and has been for 8 years!!

So now Taylor taps out because he can’t stand the heat. Another gutless wonder. By the way, that TAYLOR with a ‘T’, not Saylor. There’s nobody at the club called Saylor. Oh wait, you’re saying Saylor so we don’t get him confused with Ryan Taylor? You mean the Ryan Taylor who left before the start of the season? Oh, okay, that makes sense then. Sigh.

I’m afraid that’s us down. Rafa will be off. Any better players will be off.
Penfold will remain totally oblivious to his own ineptitude.
We really do not deserve to stay up. All the chickens are coming home to roost.

This club is nothing!
It was a great and proud club but is now a pathetic collection of average players and a very poor administration. Ashley deserves every comment ever given to him on internet and keep them coming!
This club deserves a relegation more than any team in the PL and I’m pretty sure we will use at least two seasons to promote our self again.

They play football when they have nothing to lose as they’re already getting beat. Shows the character of them. Bunch of boys dressed up as men. Pathetic little scroats. Need a full clear out whatever happens.

The longer these results continue, the brighter shines McClaren’s prospects of landing a half decent managerial job in the future.
If the great Rafa can’t make a difference, he must be thinking, then maybe his time in charge won’t look too shabby.

Then you obviously know f all. Perez has declined, but he’s nothing but a poacher and is constantly asked to do other jobs.

Townsend is the only one that understands his role and plays to his strengths. 6 games played, 2 great goals, 1 very good assist for Mitrovic and is one of few not allowing himself to be dragged down by the stinking attitudes of some – top pro, can see he just wants to play and do well.

it might have been a wise idea for benitez to try a different formation to the one that failed pardew, carver, and mcclaren. 4231 might have been the best formation a few years ago, but not so sure now. also another outrageous idea might be to change some of the players who have contributed to three years of woeful performances.

Who was Newcastle’s worst player today? They all sucked bar Townsend. Shelvey gets it for me. Far too slow, needs an extra touch and if his Hollywood pass doesn’t come off he has nowt -1 out of 10, Captain? Pfft more like poop deck.

just because he is not in his fave position, dosnt mean he can not make runs, will we get the best out of him ? no, but can he offer more than that, YES!

Townsend, 2 goals, yes, great goals, but hasnt been a team player, goes missing for huge parts of games, strikers can do that and kind of get away with it, but not wingers, they have 2 main jobs, support the forward, which his main aim is always to cut in, ( selfishly ), and be cover for the fullback, which he rarely is.

and the 3rd player im very disappointed in is Gini, he looks like he is sulking out there.

All 3 have way more to offer than they show right now, even out of position

ilovetoon8788
i ment in fact that its a game that if we lose at home or even not win then it could be all done and dusted for us….we only have home games really to rely on,going off away performances this season….no guarantees at home as they are only slightly better at home.

Fair but I still really don’t think there was a lot Rafa could have done. But if I was manager and appointed before the leicester game I would literally just setup in a simple 442 and get them to do the basics right first, that might very well be what Rafa is trying to do but the players just cannot get it right and just don’t care.

That first half was from another planet. Saylor’s play was interesting. When did he join Southampton? I don’t think we’ll see him again this season. Janmaat got himself out of there right sharpish as well. Non-existent back four. Sissoko hopeless again. The only attack came through Townsend. They had 10 corners by the time we had 1. 11 chances to 1 in the first half. The numbers are overwhelming. They ran through us so easily time after time. Rafa must be cringing. Will we even win 1 with him in charge?

The lack of organization at the back is shocking. Saylor has never played worse I don’t think. Turned so easily by Long. Suicide back pass to Darlow. Strange clearances ending up in corners. The man was a complete write-off. Anita was horrible at LB. Completely lost there. Janmaat got himself sent off. An embarrassment to watch.

james
nar nowt he could do really,he has always played that formation from whats been said so he was always going to do what he thought was right….i personally dont think these players can play this system,from when pardew started using to now,its never looked flowing or comfortable…always looks disjointed….no doubt if they had got pearson in he would probably play 4-4-2…coz thats his preferred style….disappointing day but expected result…..but as long as norwich didnt win theres always a chance.

I don’t think this group of players could play any formation comfortably Springy mate. They look absolutely lost most of the time. Don’t count on any more favours from Norwich either. We’ve cooked our own goose I’m afraid. No excuses. The team is terrible. A disgrace in fact. Sack everybody involved Ashley if you ever want us to get back up. Not Rafa of course but he’ll be out the door as soon as the whistle ends the last match.

geordie two
two striker types we have struggled with for years….big strong,powerful heads of the ball…pelle,lukaku,mbokani,walters and the speedy quick sharp thinking….long,vardy,aguero,defoe…..today we had both…the defenders are just not good enough.

Springy
Even if we did get Pearson I don’t think our lot would do any better under him or respond to Rafa is the biggest name we could of got and if our players don’t want to listen to him they certainly wouldn’t with pearson

I feel the same at this point Ron mate. We’re that bad. We have lost 9 in a row away. Can we beat Villa away? I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up a draw. I feel for Rafa. He must be shaking his head wondering what tempted him to come.

The stench coming out of our dressing room is beyond belief. What has happened to Sissoko? Can’t cross a ball. Couldn’t get a shot anywhere near the net when their keeper was caught out of position. Failed miserably. The same with Wijnaldum. What a pair of internationals they are. Go home you two. Take some of the other idiots with you.

g2
i’ve never been a fan of right footers on the left and vice versa,yes townsend scored today by cutting in and rattling one in but i believe playin this way restricts players like mitro,and stops the flow of the attack.

At least Townsend gives us a threat Springy mate. He has pace and he can shoot. How many of our players can you say that about? It’s still shocking to me how bad we are. What is Charnley doing still in charge? Any other club and he’d be long gone. He didn’t deserve to stay after that pathetic second half of last season. Now he’s been in charge while we wasted most of 80M and gotten us relegated.

In honor of two dedicated Newcastle fans, who lost their lives supporting Newcastle United.

Their passenger jet was shot down over Ukraine on Thursday July 17th, 2014 by rebels, as they were traveling to support the team in New Zealand.

We will never forget them.

Health Update - 4 Aug, 2016

The good news last week was that after more blood tests my PSA count is still undetectable

This means the prostate cancer is still under control, and there is no trace of it in the body.

Now to be even more vigilant so I can see the Rafa Benitez project come to its fruition over the next few years - wouldn't want to miss that.

Howay The Lads!!>

Ed Harrison

What Is A Football Club?

What is a club in any case?

Not the buildings or the directors or the people who are paid to represent it.

It’s not the television contracts, get-out clauses, marketing departments or executive boxes.

It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city.

It’s a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father’s hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.